Draw-bar equipment.



No. 721,523.- PATBNTED FEB. 24, 1903.

' Y J. J. O'BRIBN. i v

' 'DRAW BAR EQUIPMENT. I

APPLICATION FILED IAY'ZZ, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

l L /A r///// UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. OBRIEN, OFST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DRAW-BAR EQUIPM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,523, dated February 24,1903.

in Draw-Bar Equipments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to' the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Myobject is to construct an improved ro draw-bar equipment forautomatic car-coup- 1ers; and my invention consists of the combination, withthe draw-bar of a car-coupler, of a pocket-sleeve rigidly fixed to and extending baokwardly from the rear end of the draw-bar; a front pocket at the forward end of said sleeve; a rear pocket at the rear end of said sleeve; a front worm-lug base in the front,Y pocket; a rear worm-lug base in the rear pocket; a front-pocket worm-lug extendzo ingbackwardly from the front worm-lug base;

a rear-pocketwormlug extending forwardly from the rear worm lug base; a follower mounted to slide longitudinally at the center of said sleeve; a'front-follower worm-lug exz 5 tending forwardly from said follower; a rearfollower worm -lug extending backwardly from said follower, all of said worin-lugs having'interior and exterior worms to form screw-thread connections with the ends of 3o coil springs; a front interior coil spring screwed into the ,interior worm of the frontpocket worm-lug and screwed into the interior worm of the front-follower worm-lug; a front exterior coil-spring screwed into the ex- 3 5 terior worm`of the frontpocket worm 'lug and screwed into the exterior worm of the front-follower worm-lug; a rear interior coilspring screwed into the interior worm of the rear-pocket worm-lug and screwed into the 4o interior worm of the rear-follower Worm-lug;

a rear exterior coil-spring screwed into the exterior worm ofthe rearpoeket worm-lug and screwed into the exterior worm of the rear-follower worm-lug; a draw-bar rod extending backwardly from the draw-bar,

`through the front worm-lug base vand wormlug, through the front springs, through the follower and follower worm-lu gs, through the rear springs, through the rear worm-,lug and 5o worm-lug base,'and through the rear end of the pocket-sleeve to hold the follower and Worm-lug bases in place in the sleeve and Application filed May 22,1902, Serial No., 108,466. (No model.)

pockets, said lfollower andqworm-lug bases being removable from the sleeve when the rod is removed; timbers mounted one on each sidev of theydraw-ba'rV and extending backwardly beside the pocket-sleeve; follower` pockets fixed to said timbers, the ends of said follower being removably mountedkinl said follower-pockets, and a tie-plate connecting the lower sides of said timbers and forming a support for the pocket-sleeve, said front and rear springs' being of equal tension, said ten sion being exerted to hold the draw-bar in a central position andxsaid 'springs being connected to pull as well as push, so that when the forward springs are compressed the rear springs are expanded, and vice versa.

Figure l is a bottom plan view of my improved draw-bar equipment for automatic car-couplers as seen'looking'in the direction indicated by the arrow lin Fig. 2, ythe head of the draw-,bar being broken away to economizej space and the other parts being'broken away and shown'in section 'to illustrate the construction.' Fig. 2 is aside elevation as wardly at theforward ends of thebars 5 and `6 and form the front pocket 9, between said lugs 8 and the rear face of. the draw-bar.

The lugs 10 extend inwardly from the rear 4seen looking in the directionindicatedby the ends of the bars 5 and 6 and form the pocket '11, between thelugs 10 and the cross-piece 7.

The front 'worm-lug' base l2 is a rectangular or square' plate adapted to iit in the pocket 9, and the rear Worm-lug base 13 is a similar plate adapted to fit in the pocket 1l." The front-pocket worm-lug 14 is a circular vhollow body extending backwardly from the `base l2, and the rear-pocket worm-lug l'is' afsiinilar circular hollow body extending forwardly from t`ne base 13. The follower 1G is a square or rectangular plate mounted to slide longid tudinally at the center of the sleeve and has the front-follower worm-lug 17 extending forwardly and the rear-follower worm-lug 18 extending backwardly, said worm-lugs 17 and 18 being hollow cylindrical bodies similar to the lugs 14 and 15, and all of said lugs 14, 15, 17, and 18 have interior worms 19 and exterior worms 20 to form screw-thread connections with the ends of coil springs. The front interior coil-spring 21 is screwed into the interior worm of the front-pocket worm- Ilug 14 and is screwed into the interior worm of the front-follower worm-lug 17. The front exterior coil-spring 22 is screwed into the exterior worms of the lugs 14 and 17. The rear interior coil-spring 23 is screwed into the interior worms of the lugs 15 and 18, and the rear exteriorcoil-spring 24is screwed into the exterior worms of the lugs 15 and 18. The drawbar rod 25 has an opening at its forward end, through which one of the bolts 4 passes, and said rod extends backwardly through the worm-lug base 12, the wormlug 14, the front springs 2l and 22, the follower worm-lug 17, the follower` 16, the follower worm-lug 18,the springs 23 and 24, the Worm-lug 15 and the worm-lug base 13, and through the crosspiece 7, and a nut 26 is screw-seated upon the rear end of said rod, said rod holding the follower-bases, worm-lugs, and springs removably in position. The springs should be made the proper length so that the wormlug bases 12 and 13 will slide readily into their pockets and may as readily be removed when the rod 25 is removed. The timbers 27 are mounted beside the draw-bar and extend backwardly, one on each side of the equipment, and castings are secured to the inner faces of the timbers 27, said castings having the pockets 28 to receive the ends of the follower 16, and the tie-plate 29 is secured to the lower sides of the timbers 27 and connects said timbers, said tie-plate forming a rigid connection between said timbers, as required to hold said timbers from spreading or buckling, and said tie-plate forming a bearing to support the pocket-sleeve.

The worms into which the springs are screwed are screw-threads or spiral grooves adapted to closely fit the springs, so that the springs will not pull out of connection with the worms. The front springs are substantially of equal tension with the rear springs and will hold the draw-bar in its normal central position, so that if the draw-bar is pulled forwardly the rear springs will be compressed and the forward springs will be expanded,

position between the ends of the timbers 27, and when the draw-bar is forcibly moved laterally the springs yield, and their tension is exerted to return the draw-bar to its normal position.

The essentials are a sleeve or othersuitable framework extending backwardly from the draw-bar, a follower slidingly mounted in the sleeve or framework, means of holding the follower from longitudinal motion, and springs mounted upon each side of the follower and connected to the sleeve or framework, so that when the front springs are compressed the rear springs are expanded, and vice versa.

In other words, my invention consists, broadly, of the combination, with the drawbar, of the springs connecting the draw-bar to the frame and so connected that they are alternately compressed and expanded, thereby keeping the springsin their normal length and eliminating the possibility of slack or lost motion between the draw-bar and the frame.

I claim- 1. The combination with a draw-bar and a sleeve connected thereto; of springs in said sleeve and connecting the draw-bar to the bed of the car so that the springs are alternately compressed and expanded, substantially as specified;

2. The combination with the draw-bar and the bed of the car; of a sleeve, a draw-bar rod, a follower rigidly mounted relative to the bed of the car; and springs connecting the follower to the draw-bar so that when one half of the springs are compressed, the other half of the springs are expanded, substantially as specified.

3. In a draw-bar equipment, the draw-bar connected to the draft-frame by means of springs which are secured at both ends,where by when a bufng strain is thrown upon said springs the same will be strained in a given direction, and when a pull is exerted upon said springs the same will be strained in an opposite direction, substantially as specified.

4. In a draw-bar equipment, a sleeve extending backwardly from the draw-bar; a follower slidingly mounted at the center of the sleeve and rigidly connected to the frame; springs connecting the follower to the rear end of the draw-bar; and springs connecting the follower to the rear end of the sleeve, said springs being connected to pull as well as push, so that when the forward springs are compreseed, the rear springs are expanded and vice versa, substantially as specified.

5. In a draw-bar equipment, a sleeve extending backwardly from the draw-bar; a follower slidingly mounted at the center of the sleeve and rigidly connected to the frame; springs connecting the follower to the rear end of the draw-bar; and springs connecting the follower to the rear end of the sleeve, said springs being connected to pull as well as push, so that when the forward springs are com- IOO IIO

pressed, the rear springs are expanded and In testimony whereof I aix my signature vice versa; timbers mounted upon each side in presence of two wltnesses.

of said sleeve' and a tie-plate connecting the i lower faces o said timbers and forming a JOHN J O BRIEN' 5 rigid support between said timbers, and form- Witnesses:

ing a bearing to support said sleeve, substan- ALFRED A. EIoKs,

M. G. IRION. l

tially as speciiied. 

